


How Can You Heal a Broken Heart?

by Jellybean96



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Confessions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Friendship, Heartbreak, Love Confessions, Parent Angus Macgyver, Parent Riley Davis, Pre-Relationship, Pregnancy, riley's pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jellybean96/pseuds/Jellybean96
Summary: Despite her best efforts, Riley's heart gets broken, completely and utterly shattered. All she wants to do is fix it, to piece it back together, whatever it takes. If it's even possible to do so.
Relationships: Angus MacGyver/Desiree "Desi" Nguyen (background), Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 114





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey babes! Got a new one for ya! This one was inspired by the initial fear I'm sure all of us MacRiley shippers felt after seeing the title for 5x08. Or, more specifically, seeing the word 'ultrasound' in the title. So, I came up with this idea for a story that I actually really love and wanted to get up before the new episode came out. Right now it's just going to be two chapters, but if I can manage to crank out a third one, I will. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

If someone were to ask her the exact moment her already-fractured heart completely shattered into a million pieces, she'd be able to tell them. She'd be able to recall exactly what she was doing and wearing when it happened, who she was with, what day it was, and how she just wanted to cry. How she wanted to scream into the space around her about how cruel and unfair life is.

Life has never been that kind to her, always throwing a wrench into her plans whenever things seem to be going well, no matter the situation. This time is no different than the others. It just hurts a lot more than she thought it would.

She's in the middle of working on a new personal project when a knock at her door interrupts her workflow. She grumbles to herself about her mojo being disrupted as she stands from her couch and goes to answer the door. She's ready to give whoever's on the other side a piece of her mind for disturbing her.

And then she sees it's Mac and every plan to rip him a new one completely falls out of her mind. That's the problem with Mac; she has such a hard time staying mad at him for anything. Maybe it's because she trusts him implicitly with her life and knows he'd never do anything intentionally to hurt someone he cares about. Maybe it's because she's crazy in love with him and half the time doesn't know which way is up when she's around him. It's a serious problem that she desperately needs to fix before it's too late.

Mac's inside her apartment before she even has a chance to invite him in. She just looks at him with slightly furrowed brows, gesturing vaguely to the living room as she pushes the door closed. "Hey, Mac, come on in, make yourself at home."

He chuckles lightly but she can tell it's not real. "Sorry."

She waves him off. "It's fine. What's up?"

His fingers are twitching, itching to do something as his mouth opens and closes, clearly trying to find the right words to say whatever he needs to say.

She crosses the floor and takes a slight detour to pass in front of the small pile of paperclips she has lying out on one of her shelves that were definitely not put there just for Mac when he visits. They're actually pretty handy to have around sometimes.

But his eyes follow her movements, just like she suspected they would, and then lock onto the pile of paperclips. His eyes dart to her for a moment, and she just shrugs, so he moves forward to grab a few.

She can see the moment the tension starts to leave his body, finally having something to occupy his hands so his brain can think and process properly. There's still a bit of tension in his shoulders, though, and she wants so badly to help him get rid of it, however she can.

After a moment, he turns toward her, a paperclip sculpture halfway done in his hands. He doesn't look at her, keeps his eyes on the wires he's twisting around. "Uh...Desi...Desi's pregnant."

And that's the moment it happens. The moment where her heart finally breaks into a million tiny pieces without her consent, her eyes unwillingly filling with tears. She fights them back, though, because this isn't about her and her feelings toward her best friend. She has no claim to his heart just because she's known him longer. She has no right to really be upset that he's going to start a family with another woman. She's just going to have to suck it up and be there for him however she can. Even if it completely breaks her on the inside.

"Or, well, she thought she was," he continues, drawing her attention back to him. "She showed me an at-home test that she took that came out positive. So we went to the doctor and they did a blood test. It came out negative." He looks up at her with a sad smile. "I'm not gonna be a dad."

If it's even possible, her heart shatters again. But not for herself. This time it breaks for her best friend. For the look of devastation and disappointment that's painted on his face.

"Mac…"

"I was terrified," he confesses. "When she told me...the first thing I felt was sheer terror. Both my parents left me when I was young, I have absolutely no idea how to be a parent. But then I started thinking about it on the way to her appointment and I was coming around to the idea. Figured that I could handle it, that we'd make it work if it really were happening."

She shifts on her feet, every part of her brain that's in love with Mac telling her to stop and run, to get out of there so she doesn't have to listen to this. But this is her place. And he's her friend. So no matter how much it's breaking her to hear this, she listens.

"So what happened?" she asks him. "Why are you here instead of with Desi?"

He sighs heavily, falling down onto her couch and hanging his head, his paperclip sculpture becoming forgotten on the hardwood floor. "I don't know. We got back to the house and I just...I left."

She hesitates, then crosses the floor to sit next to him, making sure to put enough space between them for her own sanity. "Talk to me, Mac," she encourages gently. "Tell me what you're thinking."

He looks up at her and gives her a soft smile that nearly takes her breath away. "I'm thinking that you're so easy to talk to. About anything. Why is that?"

She smiles brightly, playfully tossing her hair over her shoulder. "It's because I'm amazing."

He laughs, actually laughs — she cheers in victory on the inside — and nods slowly. "Yeah, you are pretty amazing, Riley Davis. I mean, here I am, talking to you about a problem I'm having with my girlfriend, instead of talking to my actual girlfriend about it. And you're just...you're just listening to all of it instead of telling me to go talk to Boze or someone else."

She shrugs. "That's what friends are for, right?"

He chuckles lightly. "Yeah. And you're truly one of the best friends a guy could ever ask for."

Her throat tightens at the reminder that he just sees her as a friend. That, in his eyes, there's no chance of them ever being anything more than that. No matter how much she wants to give it a try, to know if they'd actually work as well as a couple as they do as friends, it'll never happen because he doesn't see her that way. And he'll never see her that way.

Shifting on the couch a little, she leans down to pick up his paperclip sculpture off the floor, taking a second to turn it over in her hand a few times. It's nearly finished, a few ends still sticking out and needing to be twisted into place. She silently holds her hand out, wiggling her fingers at him for emphasis. A few seconds later his Swiss Army knife is in her hand.

"Listen," she says as she pulls the pliers out of their place and glances up at him, "I know I'm amazing and you very clearly lucked out having me as a friend." She smiles softly at him and then focuses her attention on the paperclips. She twists and pushes the pieces of wire that are still sticking out and it takes her a little bit of effort because she doesn't do this nearly as much as Mac does — which is to say she doesn't do it at all but has seen him do it enough times.

She turns the sculpture over and works on the final section that needs to be twisted into place. "It's perfectly fine for you to want to talk to a friend about whatever's going on in your life, and you know I'm always here for you." She looks up at Mac and sets both the sculpture and his knife in his open palm, her hand lingering on the items for just a moment. "But you need to talk to Desi too."

His voice is barely above a whisper as he speaks, "Riley..."

She shakes her head, removing her hand and sitting up straight. "No. Talk to her, Mac. Make sure you're both on the same page with this. Tell her that you were scared by what happened and also excited. Tell her whatever you're feeling about all of this. You need to talk to her."

He hesitates and then nods slowly, his hand curling around the paperclip sculpture. "You're right. I do need to talk to her." He breathes deeply and stands from the couch, sliding his knife back into his pocket but keeps the paperclip sculpture in his hand. Then he holds it out to her. "Here, you keep it. It's your very first paperclip creation."

She laughs quietly as she stands, taking the sculpture from him. "You did most of the work."

"Yeah, but you finished it."

She shrugs. "It's no big deal. But thanks." She holds the sculpture against her chest and gives him a playful smile. "I'll treasure it forever."

He smiles, laughing quietly. "Good. I'm glad. I should go," he says, nodding toward the front door. "Desi's probably wondering where I am. I sort of forgot my phone when I left."

The reality of the situation hits her again and she swallows, dropping her hands from her chest and setting the sculpture on the coffee table. She nods sharply. "Right. You should...you should go."

"Yeah." He turns after a second and moves toward the front door, one hand tucked into a pocket of his leather jacket. He opens the door and then stops, turning slightly toward her. "Hey, uh, thanks again, Riles."

She smiles. "Anytime, Mac." She says it, but she doesn't entirely know if she means it. Especially if she'll have to hear him talk about his relationship with Desi over and over again. There's only so much of that she knows she'll be able to take.

She really needs to get this under control, to get her feelings in check, and try harder to get over him. She needs to get over him, needs to put him back into that little space in her head marked 'FRIEND' so that her heart doesn't ache every time she sees him with Desi.

It's going to be tough, she knows it will, but it has to be done. She can't keep living like this.

She stands in the open doorway and watches as Mac leaves, waving to him as his car backs out of its space. She forces back the hopeful image it produces; of her in sleep shorts and one of his old t-shirts because none of hers will fit over her large belly, waving to him as he makes a quick run to the store to get her the latest thing she's craving. It's a nice dream, but one she knows she won't experience in reality. At least not with him.

She steps inside and closes the door as quickly as possible, before Mac's even out of sight. No doubt he saw how fast she moved, but she can't be bothered to think about that.

Crossing to the living room where her laptop waits, she sits back down on the couch and pulls the computer into her lap, leaning back and getting comfortable. She flexes her fingers, situating them over the keys, and lets her body relax into the cushion as she allows herself to be sucked back into the world of coding.

Her eyes drift over to the paperclip stork taunting her from its place on the coffee table; the universal sign for babies and she's torn whether or not to actually keep it. She wants to keep it because it's from Mac, but it's also going to be a constant reminder of this day and how the reality of her situation with her best friend really sank in.

Forcing her eyes away from the little creation, she decides right then and there that no matter what happens next, she needs to piece her heart back together. Needs to find some way to heal the heart that Mac unintentionally and unknowingly broke into a million little pieces.

Because she can't keep living this. She won't.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for this story! And I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but I have decided that this is now going to be three chapters, so you have one more lovely chapter to look forward to that I, personally, think you're all going to love. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Many months later, after what Riley likes to internally refer to as "the incident", she's finally starting to believe that she might be getting over Mac. It's been rough, naturally, to come to terms with her feelings and then get over them. Well, coming to terms with it was easy, she knows exactly how she feels about him, knows what she wants to experience with him. But she knows it'll never happen. And she's tried very hard to reconcile herself with that fact.

It's gotten easier as the days have gone by, to not feel her stomach churn whenever Mac and Desi are in the same room. Of course, she still looks away whenever they get too close or share a look. That part is going to take more time to deal with. Little by little, step by step, she's going to get over Mac. She tries her hardest to keep her distance from him as much as she can, and slowly but surely she can feel the pieces of her heart starting to come back together. It's not working as quickly as she had hoped, but it's still working.

Though it doesn't help matters when Mac is actively seeking her out while they're on missions; calling her 'Riles' over comms in that way she can't quite describe, looking at her with such intensity when they're down to the wire, or his hand lingering on her back or arm for just a second longer than it probably should when they're moving quickly. She remains professional, though, does her best to keep her head on straight, reminding herself that nothing has changed between them, that he's always been a pretty touchy guy since the day she met him. It's nothing new. Even if her mind wants to go there, to try and convince her heart that it means something more, she pushes the thoughts away. Because he's still with Desi.

And she can't help it that she looks at Desi's midsection every so often after "the incident". She knows that they had a scare, that nothing is actually happening there right now. But maybe talking about what happened made them realize that's what they want someday. And even though it'll hurt, she knows she'll love their baby because it'll be Mac's kid; loving his kid will be one of the easiest things she ever does. But if she doesn't get over her feelings for him soon, then it's going to be very, very difficult for her in the future to be around him and his little family.

So she's done just about everything she can think of to get over Mac. Including casual dating. She's not looking for anything serious just yet, knows her heart isn't quite ready for that, and she makes sure that all the guys she sees are aware of that. Thankfully they're all perfectly fine with it; they never ask for more than one date, and they never ask her to stay over if things lead back to the bedroom.

She's able to forget about Mac for a few hours every so often, and it's great. But as soon as the dates are over and she's back home alone her brain reminds her of exactly why she's doing what she's doing. And it sucks. She hates being _that girl._ Hates being the girl that's hopelessly pining after her best friend.

Bozer's the only one who knows exactly what she's doing and why — though she suspects Matty knows and just isn't saying anything — and she's forever grateful for him keeping her feelings a secret. She knows he wouldn't betray her by telling Mac how she feels. That's not who Bozer is. And the only reason he even found out in the first place was because he just so happened to see the screen of her phone before she was able to get to it, a few messages of confirmation from her latest hookup on the screen.

He hadn't demanded an answer, thankfully, but she knew he was curious. So, when they were alone, she told him everything. She spilled all of her thoughts to him, and maybe even let a few tears slip out. And he's been completely supportive of her since. She thought there was some initial hesitation right after she told him what she was doing, but she shook that thought off pretty quickly, didn't want to dwell on it.

But now she wishes she hadn't told him because he hasn't stopped giving her weird looks throughout the briefing from their latest mission whenever her phone buzzes. She gives him looks back, of course, trying to get him to stop. But he doesn't.

So she confronts him about it quietly after Matty has left the room but before Mac or Desi have — a mistake that she doesn't realize until after the fact. "Dude, what the hell? What's with all those looks?"

He shrugs. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She raises a brow. "Seriously? Cut it out, Boze. If you keep doing that, someone's gonna ask what's going on, and I really don't want to have to explain my dating life right now."

"No, you just don't want to have to explain it to Mac."

She rolls her eyes at him. "Yeah, obviously."

"What don't you want to explain to me?"

Her eyes go wide and she spins around to face Mac, giving him her best attempt at a smile. "Hey."

"Hi. So what's going on that you don't want to explain to me? Are you in some kind of trouble? You know I'll help you if you are. No questions asked."

She has to force herself not to sigh at his words. He doesn't even know he's doing it, making her fall for him with everything he does and says. Part of her hates him for it. But deep down she knows it won't last for very long.

She shakes her head. "There's no problem. I was just telling Bozer that I didn't feel like talking about my dating life in front of everyone." It's better to just be honest, right? Even if she does leave out one crucial detail.

Mac's brows furrow tightly together as he shifts on his feet, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're dating again?"

"Casually," she's quick to say, though deep down she knows he doesn't need to know that fact. "Nothing serious."

"Huh."

"What?"

Mac shakes his head. "Nothing, nothing. I'm just...surprised, I guess."

She raises a brow. "About what, exactly?"

He shrugs. "You dating casually. I just didn't think you were the type. Have you went out with anyone that you think could lead somewhere down the line?"

"Uh...I'm not sure. Like I said, it's all casual. When I'm with them I don't usually think about the long term. I'm not looking for anything serious right now."

Mac's jaw just barely clenches and if she wasn't practically an expert in Angus Macgyver she might not have seen it. "So you're just with these guys for one night and then it's done?"

She nods slowly. "That's kind of the point of casual dating. No strings attached, no hurt feelings if one half of the pair sees someone else later. Easy and painless. Exactly what I need right now."

Mac nods sharply. "Right. Well, uh, whenever your next _casual_ date is, I hope he's a good guy and that you enjoy yourself. I'll see you guys tomorrow." He barely spares her another glance as he makes his way out of the war room, leaving just her and Bozer alone.

As she watches him leave, she thinks back to how he reacted and how he spoke, and the way he was standing. She hasn't seen that from Mac before. At least, not in regards to anything about her and her private life. He looked almost...mad. No, not mad. Not entirely. It was something she hasn't seen from him before. Something that she's trying so hard to keep from working its way into her thoughts. Because it can't be true. It can't.

.

.

.

She's crossing her apartment from the bedroom out to the living room when a knock at the front door interrupts her movements. She freezes, turning toward the door with slightly furrowed brows. She glances at the time on the closest clock, though she knows it's too early for her date — she's supposed to be meeting him anyway — and she isn't finished getting ready yet. She still needs more time and he shouldn't know where she lives; she makes it a point to never bring her dates back to her place.

Stopping at the door, she grabs the handle and pulls, her mouth open and ready to tell off whoever's on the other side for just showing up unannounced when she has plans. It snaps shut quickly when she sees who's standing there.

She swallows thickly, shifting on her feet. "Mac. What...what are you doing here?"

"Can we talk?" he asks, gesturing inside her apartment. Big one-eighty from the last time he showed up to talk and just walked right in.

She hesitates only for a moment. She doesn't have time for this right now. But even though she's been trying to get over Mac, she can tell that there's something he desperately needs to get off his chest. And despite the fear settling itself into her heart that it's going to be just like the last time, she lets him inside her apartment.

Deep down she knows it's probably a bad idea for her sanity and her heart, but she can't help herself. It's Mac.

Following him into her living room, she crosses her arms as casually over her chest as she can and shifts on her feet. "So...what did you want to talk about?"

He turns to face her, opening his mouth to speak, and then pauses. His brows furrow together and his head tilts as he looks at her. "You look really nice. Are you going somewhere?"

"Uh...yeah. I'm going on a date."

There's that jaw clench again but she convinces herself it's just a trick of the light this time.

He nods sharply. "Oh. I didn't...I didn't mean to interrupt."

She shakes her head. "It's fine. I don't have to leave yet. And to be honest, I'm not entirely sold on this guy."

"So then why are you going out with him?"

She has to bite her tongue, force herself not to admit that she's only going out with all these guys to try and get her mind off of the very person standing in front of her.

So she shrugs instead. "He seemed nice enough at first. We have a few things in common so I thought I might give it a shot. But I'm not really sure if—"

"Don't go out with him."

She looks at Mac with wide eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Please, don't go out with him. Just stop dating casually altogether." He takes a deep breath. "And go out with me instead."

Her heart jumps, and her breath catches. But she stays silent. She's afraid that if she speaks, if she even tries to, that it'll break the moment. A moment that she's not sure is even real.

"Look," Mac continues, "I know things have been a little off between us the last few months, and I think part of that is on me. I was trying to work through some stuff and I neglected our friendship outside of missions. Believe me when I say it's the last thing I wanted to do, but it was easier to work through this when I wasn't around you. Because the thing I was trying to work out was how I feel about you."

Her heart might just burst right out of her chest at his words. But she still doesn't speak.

"It took me a while to actually work things out, and then earlier at the Phoenix when I heard that you were dating again...it just...sparked something, I guess, and made me realize some things that finally made everything make sense." He pulls his lips in tight and then lets out a breath. "I realized that I want to be the one you spend your nights with on dates or even just inside watching a movie and eating take out. I realized that I want to be the one who gets to kiss you and hold you and be loved by you. I want you, Riley Davis, I want us."

She doesn't fight it when a few tears slip out and slowly roll down her cheeks. She doesn't wipe them away either. "Damn you, Angus Macgyver."

His face drops. "What?"

She lets out a humorless laugh. "I've been trying so hard the last few months to get over you, and now here you are confessing your feelings for me and I don't know what to do."

His brows furrow tightly together. "You've been trying to get over me? You have feelings for me?"

She rolls her eyes. "You really are the dumbest genius out there, aren't you?" She smiles softly at him. "Of course I have feelings for you, Mac. How could I not? You're an amazing guy. But I never thought you'd feel the same way, especially after what happened the last time you came by, so I started trying to get over you." Her eyes drift over to the paperclip stork sitting on a nearby shelf, her heart clenching at the stupid reminder of when her world turned upside down. "Didn't want to be the girl pathetically pining after a guy who was potentially going to start a family with another woman."

"You mean...you mean me and Desi?"

She nods. "Yeah."

"Desi and I broke up months ago."

She blinks, looking back at him. But she doesn't speak, doesn't know if she has the right words to say.

His brows furrow slightly. "Did I...did I forget to tell you?" He sighs heavily. "Of course I did. After I left your place I went to talk to her, like you suggested. We talked for a few hours and realized that we hadn't really been working as a couple for a while. And that neither of us could actually picture building a life together in the long run. So we decided to just be friends."

She swallows, letting her arms drop. "Um, okay. I don't...I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that information."

He takes a step closer to her, grabbing her hands in his and holding them tightly. "Agree to go on a date with me. Just one date. And if it doesn't work out, then we can just keep being friends."

She shakes her head, more tears falling. "I can't, Mac."

"What? But you...but you said that—"

She nods. "I know what I said." She swallows thickly. "I've been trying so hard to get over you, and I thought I was finally in a good place. But now you're here, telling me you have feelings for me, asking me to go on a date with you...it's all I've wanted for so long. But just the thought of it possibly not working out is enough to make my heart break all over again. I can't go through that, Mac."

He nods slowly, shifting on his feet. "Okay. I understand. But wouldn't it hurt more to never even give it a chance? To not give _us_ a chance? Wouldn't it hurt to keep wondering about the what if's?" He squeezes her hands gently and gives her a small smile. "Just one date, Riley, that's all I'm asking for. And then, if it doesn't go past that one date, and you need some space, I'll give you that. Whatever you need. But please, please go out on a date with me."

She stays quiet for a moment longer, weighing her options. Everything he's saying to her, it's exactly what she's wanted to hear from him for longer than he knows. If she goes on the date with him and it doesn't work out, she'll be crushed and devastated beyond belief. And on the flip side, if it goes well and they keep dating, she'll be thrilled and happy beyond belief.

Looking up into the beautiful blue eyes that have kept her captivated and intrigued since day one, she knows without a doubt what her answer is. Because even though her heart's not completely healed yet, it's well on its way there. And maybe, just maybe, Mac is the exact person to help her finish piecing it back together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Who's excited for the third part? :)
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with the final piece of this story. I'm so so happy to finally be posting this chapter, it's so fluffy you guys. I also wanted it to be as perfect as I could make it be, and I think I have. Thank you so much to everyone who's read and commented on this story. I loved writing it and I'm so glad you've all enjoyed reading it.
> 
> Enjoy!

Shuffling across the floor to the kitchen, Riley lets out a large yawn, her hand instinctively coming up to cover her mouth, her eyes closing for a fraction of a second. She makes a beeline for the coffee maker on the counter, grabbing a mug from one of the cabinets as she goes. Thankfully there's already some coffee brewed.

Footsteps echo on the hardwood and she takes a small step to the side, hoping to block the view of the coffee pot as she continues to pour her drink. She's lifting the mug to her lips and is about to take a sip when the footsteps grow closer and then stop right behind her.

"Riley…"

She sets her mug down and spins around quickly to face her husband, her hands raised in front of her. "Okay, I know what you're going to say, Mac, but the doctor never said I couldn't have any coffee. Just not as much as I usually have. I know you know this."

Mac sighs heavily. "You're right. And I know I can't keep you from drinking coffee entirely."

She smiles. "I'm glad you recognize that."

He chuckles, stepping closer and resting his hands on her large belly, cradling it through one of his old MIT shirts that she's taken to wearing lately. "I just want you and the baby to be okay. And I know there's no proven research that caffeine affects unborn babies in any way, but after everything we went through with Ellen…" He lets out a small breath, his eyes closing and his head dropping to her shoulder.

She smiles softly, leaning her head against his and reaching up with her hand to run her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. "I know, babe. I still worry sometimes too. But we're in the home stretch now, and this pregnancy has been a lot easier on me." She turns her head to press a kiss to his hair. "I promise we'll be done after this."

Mac lifts his head to look at her with a small frown. "Riley…"

"Stop," she cuts him off gently, shaking her head. "It's okay. I'm okay. The baby's okay. I know that when I was pregnant with Ellie I was crazy emotional and talked about wanting a ton of kids despite everything I was dealing with at the time, but honestly, I think I'll be perfectly fine with just two kids. Especially when they're going to be under the age of five at the same time," she says with a small laugh.

"You're sure?"

She nods, stepping as close to him as she can and looping her arms up around his neck. "Absolutely."

Mac smiles. "Okay. After this baby, no more. I don't want to risk losing you again."

She smiles softly. "I know. I don't want to leave you guys either." She rises on her toes enough to kiss him gently. "I love you."

"I love you too." He breathes deeply and pulls her in for a hug, burying his face in her neck again. "I don't want to go to work."

She laughs quietly. "You know you'll feel bad about it later if you don't."

He sighs as he pulls back. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. Now get going so you're not late. Matty's already not happy that you were late the last few times."

He nods slowly. "I know, I know. You just always look so cute in the morning with your belly. And the baby was kicking last time too."

She smiles. "That was pretty fun. But you should get going. Is Ellie still sleeping?"

"Yeah. She'll probably be up soon, though." He leans forward to give her a slow kiss. "I love you. I'll see you when I get home."

"Love you too." She leans back against the counter and watches him walk away, the door closing behind him with a soft click.

It's crazy sometimes, to think how completely and utterly in love with him she is. A love that has only grown exponentially in the time they've been together. Each and every day she's fallen more and more in love with him, something she didn't think was possible because she thought she'd already fallen completely for him.

Grabbing her mug of coffee off the counter, she makes her way into the living room and settles herself on the couch. She sets the coffee down on the table in front of her and grabs her tablet from the side table, propping it up against her pregnant belly.

She's booting it up when a pair of tiny feet echoing off the hardwood flooring grabs her attention. She turns her head and smiles at the pajama-clad three-year-old shuffling across the floor, her favorite stuffed animal clutched tightly in one hand.

"Good morning, Ellie."

Ellie gives her a half-asleep smile. "Hi, mommy. Where's daddy?"

"He went to work already. Wanna come cuddle before we get some breakfast?"

Ellie nods and then moves across the floor, pulling herself up onto the couch and sitting down.

Riley wraps an arm around her daughter and pulls her closer, smiling when the toddler curls up against her, one hand coming to rest on Riley's belly. She drops a kiss to the top of Ellie's head and sinks down a little further on the couch.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah?"

Ellie gently pats Riley's stomach. "Is my baby awake?"

Riley smiles at Ellie's words. They'd given up pretty quickly when they realized how insistent Ellie was that the baby's hers and that she'll be the one to take care of her sister, just like she does with all of her baby dolls. It's sweet, honestly, how much of a doting big sister she already seems to be. "No, the baby isn't awake right now. If she was, she'd be kicking my insides like crazy."

Ellie frowns, leaning toward Riley's belly. "Be nice," she says sternly. "No hurtin' mommy."

Riley brushes a hand over her daughter's hair. "Oh, it's okay. The baby doesn't know she's hurting me."

Ellie looks up at her. "Promise?"

Riley smiles. "Promise."

Ellie nods once. "Good." She leans against Riley and hugs her. "I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, baby girl. What do you want to do today?"

Ellie shrugs. "I dunno."

"Well, you let me know if you think of something. Mommy's gonna code for a little bit."

Ellie nods against her, her eyelids fluttering closed. In reality, she probably shouldn't let her daughter fall back asleep, but the three-year-old looks beyond adorable this way. And it allows her a few more moments before the day really sets in.

Sometimes she can't quite believe that she's a mom now, that she actually made it to this point in her life. The past three years getting to watch her daughter grow and explore the world around her has been nothing short of amazing. And having Mac at her side through it all has been pretty incredible too. He's already perfected the art of being a doting husband, even if they have only been married for a year and a half—Ellie had been a surprise that they were immediately excited for after the initial shock. But even when she was pregnant with Ellie, before they were married, he quickly perfected the art of being a doting boyfriend. She's beyond lucky, and she reminds herself of it all the time.

Once Ellie wakes back up she immediately states that she wants breakfast. And Riley is more than happy to oblige to the request because she's starting to get hungry too.

Rising from the couch, Riley smiles when Ellie stands on the cushion and holds her arms up. Riley lifts her daughter into her arms and settles the girl on her hip, laughing to herself when Ellie leans down just enough to talk quietly to the baby.

Crossing into the kitchen, Riley sets Ellie down on the counter and then begins searching through all of the cabinets for stuff to make breakfast. As soon as she figures out what to make.

"So what are we thinking for breakfast, baby girl?" she asks her daughter, glancing over her shoulder.

Ellie shrugs. "I dunno."

Riley chuckles, turning around fully to face her toddler. "Well, you're the one who wanted to get breakfast."

"I know. Can we talk to grandma?"

"Maybe after breakfast we can give her a call," Riley tells her. "But we need to eat first. What do you want?"

"Um…" Ellie tilts her head, her tiny brows furrowing slightly. "Eggs?"

Riley smiles. "I think we can do that. Do you want to help me crack the eggs?"

Ellie grins and nods. "Yeah."

Grabbing everything she needs from the fridge and cabinets, Riley proceeds to make breakfast for the two of them. Ellie cracks the eggs for her and gets more of the yolk on the counter than in the bowl—she may or may not crack another couple of eggs when Ellie isn't watching. She's still not sure if their daughter has inherited Mac's "skills" cooking in the kitchen yet or not. Though maybe she'll be a somewhat skilled baker more like Mac is. She figures only time will tell.

They eat breakfast in the living room while watching cartoons, at Ellie's request, snuggled up next to each other in their pajamas still. It's a weekend, and they don't have anything pressing to do, so Riley's going to relish having a bit of a lazy day. She doesn't get nearly as many of them when she isn't pregnant, so just like the last time, she's taking advantage of it as much as she can.

.

.

.

Turning away from the sink at the sound of the front door opening and closing, Riley smiles when she sees her husband. "Hey, you're home earlier than I thought you'd be."

He smiles back as he moves across the floor. "Yeah. We got things done surprisingly quickly." He stops in front of her and pulls her into a quick kiss. "Can't stay long, though. Boze called, he needs my help with something."

"Did he say what he needs help with?"

Mac lets out a breath and shakes his head. "No. But he sounded kind of panicky on the phone, so I'm guessing it has something to do with Leanna or the baby. Or even setting up the nursery. I don't know. I'm gonna head over there and see what I can do. But I wanted to check in on you and Ellie first. Is she napping?"

Riley nods. "Yeah. Thankfully. She fought a little, naturally, but she did go down."

Mac smiles. "Well, she's never been a big fan of sleeping."

Riley scoffs. "Yes, I have very clear memories of being up at all hours of the night when you would get home late because she refused to sleep unless you were holding her against your bare chest." She points a finger at him. "Which is still extremely unfair, by the way, since I'm the one who carried her for nine months and then gave birth to her."

Mac chuckles, holding his hands up. "Hey, don't blame me. I had zero control over that." He grabs her hands and gives them a small squeeze. "But if it makes you feel any better, if this baby starts behaving the same way Ellie did, then I will not pick her up so that she'll have to fall asleep when you're holding her."

Riley rolls her eyes, a tiny smile on her face. "You dork. That's not necessary. You know I'm going to find it very, very attractive when you hold our newborn baby."

"Why do you think I always do it?"

Riley laughs as she gently hits him on the chest. "Oh, is that so?" She grabs the front of his shirt to pull him a little closer, rising on her toes just enough to press a slow kiss to his lips. When she pulls away she grabs his shoulders to turn him around and gently nudge him toward the front door. "You better get going and help Bozer before he drives Leanna crazy." She walks behind him as she keeps pushing him toward the door.

Mac sighs. "Fine." He stops when he reaches the door, turning around to look at her. "But call me if you need anything?"

She smiles softly. "You know I will." She leans up to kiss him one last time. "Now go."

Mac holds his hands up with a smile. "Alright, alright, I'm going." He pulls the door open and steps outside, digging his keys out of his pocket as he goes.

Riley leans against the open doorway as she watches Mac approach his car, one hand resting comfortably underneath her baby belly.

"Mommy?"

Leaning back slightly and turning her head, Riley smiles when she sees Ellie approaching. "Hey, baby, you all done with your nap?"

Ellie nods quietly, reaching her arms up when she gets closer.

Riley just lets out a breath and then carefully lifts her daughter and settles her on her hip. She smiles when Ellie's head rests against her shoulder, the little girl letting out a yawn. Riley brushes some of her daughter's curls back and presses a kiss to her forehead.

Turning back to the driveway, Riley smiles and waves at her husband when she sees him slowly backing out onto the main road. "Can you wave bye to daddy?" she asks quietly.

"Where's daddy going?" Ellie asks, one of her tiny hands waving.

"He's gonna go help your Uncle Boze with something. But he'll be back later. Promise." She lets her mind wander as she watches Mac's car disappear from her view, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You know, I had a dream like this once."

"You did?"

Riley looks at her daughter and nods. "Mm-hmm."

"What happened?"

Riley takes a deep breath. "Well, I was standing right here in the doorway watching your dad leave in his car. And you, little miss, were in my belly."

Ellie gasps, suddenly more awake and sitting up. "I was?"

Riley smiles and nods. "You were."

So maybe she doesn't actually know for sure if the kid she was carrying in that fever dream that feels like a million years ago was actually Ellie. But it was her dream. No one else was there. She can claim whatever she wants to claim about it. Who's gonna fact check her about her own dream?

Her attention is drawn out of her head when Ellie gently pats her shoulder. "Yes?"

"I hafta go potty."

Without another word, Riley sets Ellie back on the hardwood floor and watches as she toddles off toward the bathroom.

Closing the front door, Riley shuffles across the floor into the living room. She makes herself comfortable on the couch again and props her tablet up against her belly, flexing her fingers a few times before she gets started. Swollen pregnancy fingers do not make coding very easy, but she always manages. And thankfully this current project is for fun and not for work.

She's vaguely aware of the sound of the toilet flushing down the hall, followed by the water running in the sink. And then a few doors opening and closing. Ellie must be playing in her room now, which gives Riley a little more time to work.

Moments later, however, she hears her daughter's feet padding across the hardwood floor toward her.

"Mommy? What's this?"

Riley looks up from her tablet, her brows furrowing together for just a moment as she looks at the small metallic figure her daughter is holding. When the realization dawns on her, her eyes go wide, and she reaches out to grab the item. "Baby, where did you find this?"

Ellie climbs up next to her on the couch. "In your room."

Riley looks at her daughter and raises a brow. "And what were you doing in my room?"

Ellie shrugs, standing on the cushion and leaning sideways against the back of the couch. "Playin'."

"Well, no more playing in there, okay? You have plenty of toys to play with in your own room."

"Okay. What is it, mommy?" Ellie asks, pointing to the figure and then shifting so she's leaning against Riley.

Riley lets out a breath, setting her tablet aside and then looping an arm securely around her daughter's waist. "This is something your dad gave me. He made it. With paperclips."

Ellie giggles. "Really?"

Riley smiles, tickling her daughter's side to make the little girl laugh more. "I know. It's kind of goofy, huh? But you see your dad playing with paperclips all the time, you know he likes to make things with them. Well, one time, he made this." She holds the paperclip structure up a little higher. "He dropped it, though, so I used his knife to finish making it."

"What is it, mommy?" Ellie asks, taking the structure and turning it over in her tiny hands.

"It's a stork."

Riley smiles to herself as she launches into the story of how she and Mac got together. The slightly edited version, of course, for her daughter's sake. But she tells her about how that one day was one of the worst she'd ever experienced and how she thought her heart would take forever to recover from it. That she was experiencing heartbreak like she never had before in her life. And that despite what the paperclip stork represented for quite a long time, she could never bring herself to get rid of it. It's a reminder of sorts, to show her just how far things have come since that day.

Quiet sniffling coming from her daughter has Riley growing concerned. She ducks her head just enough and frowns when she sees the girl's eyes are shining with unshed tears. "Ellie? Baby, what's the matter?"

Ellie looks up. "Daddy made you so sad."

Riley lets a tiny smile pull at her lips at how concerned her daughter is for her, even though this is all in the past. She pulls Ellie closer against her side instead of into her lap because her pregnant belly is in the way, and wraps her arms securely around her daughter to keep her in place. She brushes the little girl's curls back and drops a kiss to her head. "It's okay, baby."

Ellie sniffles, using the sleeve of her pajama shirt to wipe at her eyes. "It is?"

Riley nods. "Absolutely. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because every day that I got to spend being loved by your dad, a little piece of my heart would slide right back into place. Just like that. Yes, he made me sad once, but after that, he made so, so happy."

"He did?"

Riley nods again, her smile widening. "Mm-hmm. But do you want to know when I was the happiest I'd ever been?"

Ellie nods, snuggling in against her.

Riley smiles, dipping her head down closer to her daughter and lowering her voice, "The day you were born."

Ellie gasps and sits up quickly, nearly head-butting Riley in the chin if she hadn't moved in time. "Really, mommy?"

Riley laughs and nods. "Really, Ellie. When I found out you were in my belly, your dad and I were so happy. And then all the months after that, where you kept growing and growing, I got happier and happier. And then finally, _finally_ "—she gently squeezes her daughter in a hug—"you were here and I got to hold you. And I was filled with so much happiness. And you know what the best part about it was?"

"What?"

Riley smiles at the memory that floods into her brain. "Right as soon as you were born and they put you on my chest while you were still crying, I looked at you and I knew."

"Knew what, mommy?"

"That the final piece of my heart was right back where it belonged."

Ellie grins. "I helped?"

"You absolutely did. And now that my heart's been all healed up, it can grow and grow to make more love for your baby sister. And my heart is so incredibly big now, and full of so much love for you, and your dad, and for the new baby."

"And Unca Boze and Grandma?"

Riley laughs quietly and nods. "Yes, of course. We can't forget about Uncle Boze or Grandma."

The sound of the front door pulls Riley's attention away from her daughter. She smiles when she sees her husband stepping into view, dropping his keys into the little bowl near him.

Ellie must spot him too, because she's off the couch in a flash, darting toward Mac across the hardwood floor. "Daddy!"

Mac grins as he stoops down to lift Ellie into his arms, hugging her tightly. He peppers her face with kisses, making the girl giggle and squirm.

"Daddy! Guess what?"

"What?" Mac asks, letting out a breath as he settles Ellie on his hip.

Ellie grins. "Mommy's heart's all better! And I helped!"

Mac's brows furrow slightly as he turns his head to look at her. "Riles?"

She shifts a little on the couch as she smiles. "Ellie found the paperclip stork so I was telling her about how we got together."

Mac nods. "Ah. You really still have that?"

"Of course I do."

Mac just smiles and then focuses his attention on their daughter when she grabs his face. He begins tickling the little girl's sides, making her laugh loudly, which then has Mac laughing too. The father/daughter duo quickly ends up on the floor, Ellie curled up comfortably in Mac's lap as they continue to tickle each other.

Their laughter fills the room, making Riley smile. She leans back into the couch, resting a hand on her belly, and watches the scene. She loves the moments like these, when it's just their little family together, away from the craziness of the outside world.

A swift kick against her palm pulls her attention to her belly. She smiles as she gently rubs the area, thinking about the very near future when their newest daughter will be joining them. Just like when she was pregnant before, Mac is as attentive as ever and is consistently excited whenever they reach a new pregnancy milestone. It's sweet, and it always makes her heart soar and grow a little more.

It definitely took some time, but just like she told her daughter, she's finally got her heart all put back together again. It's not the same as it was, she knew that it wouldn't be one hundred percent the same. But it's put back together and all healed up, and is so much better than it was before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!

**Author's Note:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
> Jellybean96 out!


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